TDM #3

[aionmods]

TDM #3

DREAMING (new characters)

At first, there is nothing. You are nothing. Whatever existed before ceases to be if for a moment. Then, bit by bit, you start to become aware. Where there was not even darkness now is a dim haze, gentle and almost mist-like. You have limbs again and beneath your feet lays a path of light reaching out like limbs of a great tree beneath you, twisting and climbing out into the horizon.

You take a step forward for what else is there to do? As you walk you begin to remember what it was you were doing before the nothingness; maybe something as simple as chatting with a loved one or close friend. Maybe you were just beginning a great journey or facing off against an old foe. Whatever it was, you get the distinct feeling that wherever and whenever that was, it is not here. Not now.

The path of light twists off into different directions. When you look up you can see that it is not a sky above you but the sky of everything, a grand cosmic tapestry littered with not mere stars but galaxies and clusters of galaxies that gleam like crystals against the velvety backdrop of space. Admire it for a moment, if you will. You don't know how long you will drift here, but you are not alone. Other wanderers will come and go as you bask together in the vastness of creation.

It seems to you that there are two paths to walk in this place, the light and dark beckoning in turn.

❖ THE LIGHT AT THE CENTER
One leads you to the center, splintered fragments folding together and colliding until only one thing remains: a light that speaks to you with the voice of all there is and has ever been. It greets you simultaneously as an old friend and as a lost child, both rejoicing in and mourning your arrival. You remember it too, somehow, with a feeling of complex nostalgia, as if returning to a place recalled from your distant childhood.

You’ll feel the same of the other wanderers that join you in the light; you know their faces, their voices, and as you reflect upon the world of your birth, you may witness fragments of theirs as well. You feel a comradery, then, a synchronicity of thought and emotion. Are the lives of others truly so different from your own? Or are you simply two hands of the same, greater being? Though some individualistic part of you may resist, the longer you spend in the light, the more you will find yourself becoming one with it.

Despite this welcoming call, no matter how eagerly your pursue its embrace, before you can fully submerge yourself in this oneness you will find yourself being torn away. As if seized by the impossibly long, cold arm of a creature unseen, you are plucked from the edge of fulfillment. The last thing you will remember is the sensation of your world, and all the others your experienced here, collapsing into nothingness.

❖ THE DARK OUTSIDE (CW: deep despair, ego death)
The other leads towards the outside, where the splintering becomes so great that the vestiges of reality can do nothing but collapse back into the abyss at the end of everything. As you wander to these barren outskirts, your thoughts will not be drawn to familiarity and oneness, but instead to memories of discontent and waste. The darker the path becomes, the more you find yourself dwelling on life’s disappointments and injustices, of the things about yourself and your world you find wanting.

If you see others here, at first they will feel frightening or contemptible, as if representing to you the worst experiences in your life. Even if they are someone you’re certain you know, that familiarity and affection will be stripped away in the face of the great emptiness before you. In the end, you were all the same. In the end, none of this was worth it. If you approach the end together, you may even form a kind of kinship around this acknowledgment, as the need for paranoia and hatred fades.

Slowly, the darkness encroaches, and you can see it devouring all the things you once knew. Memories of your home, of those you loved, dissolve into nothing, and you can only reflect on the barren emptiness in your heart as you see it happen. In your final moments, though, you feel peace with it all, knowing that there was no other way. You step from the edge of the last dwindling fragment of being and are greeted by silence.

❖ THE END
No matter which way you go, you are left with a single impression: you feel the world you came from die. It's a realization that transcends logic or sense; it weighs on your heart and leaves the vestiges of dark memories dancing in your thoughts like motes of ash. It's a memory of your home crumbling away into nothing as if consumed from within by rot. Returned to the void, all that's left to you is to be reborn.

REBIRTH (new characters)

In a new time and place, you awaken. Stirring within a capsule of warmth and isolation your senses will slowly return, only to observe that you are trapped. Your body, as it wakes, is tangled in close, yours eyes unable to open, as if still within the womb. You are held tight in the embrace of something unyielding, so smothering that at first you only have the strength to struggle for moments at a time. Yet, as you persist, the pressure begins to relent in turn; it may take hours, but eventually you will find the purchase to push, to claw, to fight, and it will all give way.

The chrysalis surrounding you bends like flesh and cracks like glass. It tears as you force your fingers through, finding liberation one inch at a time, until finally you have emerged. As if having undergone metamorphosis, you feel old and new all at once. You are weak, piteously so, but the markings and scars of your previous life remain. As you slump down upon the smooth cavern stone, you realize that you've just wrenched yourself free of gigantic crystal, though its hollow, shimmering form is now in pieces on account of your passing. Somewhere on your body, a shard of similar material remains embedded.

The cave itself looks almost like the inside of a geode, the walls and ceiling bedazzled with greyish crystal that shines with all the colors of the rainbow. While they vary wildly in size and shape, only a few have grown large enough to hold a form like yours, and you can see the one you just escaped isn't the only one bearing a passenger within. They may have already hatched, or they may still be lingering in stasis. Either way, there's enough time that you may have a chance to speak to yours unexpected peers, or to perhaps to struggle to find something to cover your naked body with. You feel the chill of the open air against your moisture laden skin, a distant light trickling in through the cavern's opening.

Make the most of this time. It won't be long before you're interrupted.

[Mod Note: If you don't want to deal with your character being naked in front of the others at that location, feel free to assume they emerge at a different time than the others of their legacy. Characters will be 'hatching' over a period of several hours.]

DREAMING (OLD CHARACTERS)

For those already in Horos, they will find themselves in the same dreamscape as the new arrivals, only, this time, it's familiar. You'll feel more cognizant of your surroundings as you reawaken in this psychedelic realm, more in control of your emotions. What's more, you recognize that light at the center and the darkness at the edge: it's the Pleroma and Kenoma respectively. The one you are attuned to will call our to your soul, and though you are technically free to wander as you please, the closer you get to the force of your opposite sect, the more it will grate against you spiritually. Pleroma attuned nearing the Kenoma will feel as if its presence is desperately trying to tear them apart, and Kenoma attuned nearing the Pleroma will feel as if its light is burning them from the inside out.

More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.

No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.

SEARCHING (OLD CHARACTERS)

Soon after the dreams begin, it will become clear that the Aion NPCs of either sect are also aware of what's happening. For those in Achamoth and Greentruth, the imminent arrival of new Aions will become a matter of official discussion. All able Aions will be called upon for their aid, in whatever way they can offer. Getting to the shrines themselves will be easily accomplished via teleportation. What's would be more complicated is ferrying any new arrivals back to a secure location. Thankfully, this is something both sects have already prepared for.

All characters will have the opportunity to acquire a 'returning stone' if they don't already have one. In all cases, this will amount to an amulet made of the same shimmering material as the shrine monuments, though the stylization differs between the Pleroma and the Kenoma. While regular Aion teleportation can bring you to any of the shrines you know the sigil and location of, a returning stone is magically programmed to bring its wearer back to a specific destination to which it is attuned. Normally, these stones will only be able to store enough energy for one 'return' a month, but it turns out that the ambient power created by the shrines being active will temporarily super charge them. Though it's not guaranteed, this means they may generate enough energy to perform multiple returns for TDM purposes. More information about returning stones can be found on the powers page.

Spare returning stones will be issued to all Aions so that they can be used to bring back anyone they collect, as it's possible to bring someone alongside you if they are also wearing a returning stone. Where your stone leads will depend on your sect.

❖ PLEROMA
Tehri will be the one to supply returning stones, based out of Greentruth. She will not travel to Godsblood to deliver returning stones to those that have not visited Greentruth, but it can be assumed that Greentruth's visitors can pass them along to anyone who has been staying in the city. The returning stones are set to bring them to a secure location beneath the water of Godsblood's coast. From there, new arrivals will have to be allowed to rest and then brought up into the city when they're ready.

Greentruth is limited in its resources, but it will attempt to send troops to the Innocent, Seeker, Wanderer, and Firebrand shrines, all of which are close to the forest. Compared to the last attempt, these troops are a bit better armored. Meanwhile, bolstered by recent events in Godsblood, bands of Resistance members and guerrilla fighters will turn up at the Artisan and Sovereign shrines. The Resistance members will work willingly alongside with the Pleroma Aions, but the guerrilla fighters seem to have their own priorities and that is mostly that they have a beef with the Achamites. These reinforcements will struggle against powered Aions, but they might be able to delay any troops sent by Achamoth or Hylici.

❖ KENOMA
Xishen will be handing out returning stones to all Kenoma the day after the dreams begin for the Aions that don't already have one. She'll explain how to use them, and state that the Regent expects for them to head to the shrines once they become fully active. The Kenoma will have whatever mundane weapons or supplies they need at their disposal for this mission, along with minimal Achamite reinforcements. Due to injuries and death in both Godsblood and Venera, many are in recovery or on their return to Achamoth. She'll reiterate not to rely too heavily on them; after all, only the Aions are able to quickly move between the shrines and at the Citadel. The regular troops will have to be deployed by river or by land, and mobilizing them will take time. They will feasible be able to reach all of the shrines to some degree or another, but will more easily populate the shrines of the Martyr, Celebrant, Lover, Champion, Visionary, Sovereign, and Firebrand.

The Hylicians will be called to fill in the ranks of the diminished Achamite troops. They follow the orders that they are given but are very standoffish otherwise, even more than usual for them. Xishen herself says she will be traveling to the shrines and the Kenoma will be expected to communicate their movements to her as they work. Dionys remains in Achamoth to 'keep watch'. All Kenoma Aions will be given a familiar vial of black sludge, and are instructed to feed it to any Aions they capture at the shrines. It will cause the same effects it did in the cavern, though it will resolve in a few days rather than a week.

RETURNED (ALL CHARACTERS)

New characters that are found a the shrines will be brought back to one of two lodestones, depending on which sect they are taken by. This will be accomplished by their escort putting a 'returning stone' around their neck that will enable them to be teleported to a secure area in their sect's territory. It is advised for your character to be taken by whichever sect you'd like them to end up in.

❖ TO THE PLEROMA
In a dazzling flash of psychedelic light, you will find yourself brought to the Pleroma's lodestone: a monolithic rock set in the center of temple-like ruins. The entire cavern is hidden away beneath the ocean waves, just outside of Godsblood, and the ceiling itself is comprised of nothing but a barrier of water, as if held back from filling the space by some unknown force. The waters surrounding the lodestone are exactly body temperature, with swarms of tiny, violently iridescent fish darting through it. Crabs that look as if they're made of pure, clear crystal wander the sparkling, sandy shores.

There isn't much here in the way of accommodations, but it's comfortable enough that the new arrivals brought in by the Pleroma can take a moment to catch their breath. Some relatively plain but assorted new clothing will have been brought to the cavern to make sure they are actually clothed, as well as blankets and basic food items. It's a good time to ask your questions, or if you are an established Pleroma, to help out your freshly arrived peers. After all, their welcome at the shrine may have been a confusing one.

New arrivals will be permitted to leave the lodestone's temple when they are ready. Unfortunately, the only ways out of these place are through your choice of either swimming through pockets of water that eventually lead to the surface, or by spelunking through a series of tunnels to make your way the cliff faces near the city of Godsblood. More information about the city itself can be found on the setting page, though it would be preferable to keep TDM interactions to the lodestone area. As characters emerging from the shrines will start our as Untouched (more info about attunements here) they will not be permitted entry into Greentruth until they have attuned to Pleroma.

❖ TO THE KENOMA
As your returning stone activates, you will feel yourself thrust into a suffocating void, only to emerge just as quickly somewhere else. The most pressing thing on the minds of anyone taken by the Kenoma will be the vial of pitch black sludge they are forced to drink, whether it is before or after their arrival. Maybe their 'escort' from the shrine gave it to them, or perhaps another Kenoma does soon after they arrive. If not, one of the Achamite cultists wandering around definitely will. Dedicated servants to the Regent's will as they are, they are not afraid to gang up on the vulnerable new arrivals and force it down their throats.

Once in your mouth, the potion will slither down your throat as if it's a living thing. The effect takes hold quickly: as this darkness creeps through your insides, it will embolden your darkest and most despair inducing emotions, plaguing your thoughts with the worst sorrows of your life. What's worst, it simultaneously seems to awaken some form of enhanced psychic empathy within you, both projecting your thoughts for others to hear, and allowing you to receive those of the others around you in kind. Black ooze will begin to seep from orifices, or the space around your shard. The effects of this contamination bring out your worst, and its recipients will be forced to live with these effects until they accept the force corrupting them into their souls.

This world is not good enough, a voice speaks to your through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.

How long this goes on will depend on how long the characters is able to fight it. Acceptance of the Kenoma can come as quickly as immediately, if your character is inclined towards it, or it could be drawn out to take a few days. In the meantime, they will have to stay in the barren halls surrounding the Regent's lodestone, and will not be permitted to exit into the greater Citadel as the current Kenoma are. All that will immediately be offered to them down there are stone slabs that can be used as beds and formless white robes that reach down past their knees.

Of course, that doesn't mean the characters that are already of the Kenoma can't do something about that. If they desire it, they will be able to bring food or other supplies to those suffering with their Kenoma infections, and it will be equally within their power to try anything from bullying them into accepting to lovebombing them. Once a character accepts the Kenoma and attunes to it, they will be permitted to leave, but for the sake of the TDM interactions should be kept to the lodestone area.

QUESTIONS

Is this TDM canon?
Mostly! It's part of an in-game event. However, only threads with new players that app and are accepted will be considered game canon. Threads between old characters will all be canon, but threads involving new characters that don't apply or aren't accepted will either need to be tweaked to remove their involvement or made non-canon. New characters will also be able to decide TDM threads aren't canon if they end up changing directions.

Who can toplevel on this post?
Anyone, whether they are a new character or a current one. However, we do ask for current players to do their best to tag new characters. If you are bringing in a new character and want a current character to bring them into your sect of choice, post your request here! ICly, current characters are fighting to claim new arrivals, but it's up to the player of new characters where they ultimately end up going.

When is this TDM taking place chronologically?
The beginning of August. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 29th of July. All current Aions will be able to sense when it's time for the new arrivals to start emerging.

What are the shrines like?
Every shrine is comprised of the crystal-filled cavern character emerge inside and then the massive statue symbolizing the relevant Legacy built on top. More information about each shrine can be found in the "Aion Shrine" section of the setting page.

Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.

Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
New characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their initial sect affiliation.

Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.

Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.

How does attunement to the Pleroma or Kenoma work for new characters?
More information about sect attunements can be read on their dedicated info page, but in summary: when new characters are brought to Horos, they will be in the state of being "Untouched" meaning they are not attuned to either sect. By the end of their first month in game it is expected they will either attune to Pleroma or Kenoma, though for those taken by the Kenoma's forces, the transition will be forced within the first few days. If taken in by the Pleroma, it may take then some time to attune to Pleroma, depending on the strength of their spirit, but it could also happen almost instantly if they are allowed to. How quickly it happens will depend on how strongly they align with the Pleroma's traits. Characters who have been taken by the Pleroma but that remain Untouched will not be allowed into Greentruth until their attunement to Pleroma is complete.

Can a character taken by one side end up attuning to the sect of the opposite one?
This is theoretically possible, yes: a person taken by the Kenoma could potentially resist the Kenoma's call, and someone taken by the Pleroma could end up falling to the Kenoma while staying with them. Generally, though, we recommend that you have your character be taken by whichever sect you want to end up in, as doing a switcheroo will cause narrative complications that might bog their introduction down in plotting that will need to be done with the mods. It can happen, but it is not to be done lightly!

Comments

[coerthantorment]

[He shouldn't be surprised that she accepts it. If she was indeed the same woman... why would it be any different than before? He nods, his silvery eyes wide for a moment, as if in awe. Then, he offers a clawed hand.

Once she accepts, he will scoop her up into his arms, his wings adjusting as he prepares to exit the cavern and fly. He moves outside cautiously, remembering the mistakes he had made the last time he collected her. With the shrines active, a Kenoma could appear at any moment.

Around them is a crater, absent of life, with a giant statue of a kneeling figure extending from its center. The cavern Aerith just awoke in forms the base of this colossal monument, the external stone shining with shifting colour in the sunlight.]

[arcaneward]

[ No sooner does she take his hand than he's scooping her up, and Aerith yelps a little in surprise, arms flailing a little until they find purchase against his chest. Her eyes squint shut, and she ducks her head down until she realizes that she's not going to fall out of his arms, tentatively opening one eye and then the other. ]

Oh!

[ It's nothing she's ever seen before, not even in books, or the stories her mother used to tell her about The Promised Land. There's a small feeling of dread in her stomach — she's a lot longer away from Midgard than she'd hoped. The shrine itself is beautiful with the way it shines in the light, but the area surrounding it... Barren. ]

You know, [ she says, as he starts to make his way out of the cave. ] You never did tell me your name.

crashes the party,, hello nice to meet you

[baltimores]

[ Oh, fuck.

The first thing Amos sees when he arrives at the shrine are six angelic wings, in all of their massive white and feathery glory, and it instantly transports him back to when that had happened to him. For a second he's stuck, frozen in— not terror but—

And then he realizes their owner is holding someone — someone new, someone not attuned, someone completely vulnerable to not just being taken away, corrupted by the Pleroma but by Innocence itself, a nightmare of a dual threat, and Amos finds himself rushing forward. ]

Let go of her!

[ It's a bark of a cry, part order and part desperation. As he rushes forward Estinien and Aerith both should feel themselves grow heavier, the force of gravity magnified on their bodies as Amos aims to stop them from going anywhere, weigh down Estinien's wings, hopefully force him to let Aerith go so he can't touch her anymore— ]

Something's got him all fucked up — you need to get away from him, now!

[ His words are for Aerith now; he hardly recognizes Estinien, something familiar and dangerous there, but this is so much more pressing. Amos may not have the full picture of what's happened with Estinien. He only knows what he knows, and the urgency in his voice is real. He isn't just saying shit for the sake of it; the sight of Estinien as he currently is is a horrific one, and one that brings up memories of something he never wants to experience again.

He'll do his best to lighten gravity's pull on Aerith specifically, but he isn't refined enough yet to have that meaningful an impact. Still, the most important thing — don't let him take off with her. ]

[coerthantorment]

[The moment that Estinien notices Amos's approach, he attempts to take flight. He makes it a short distance off of the ground before the gravity grows stifling - he might have been able to make it with his own weight, but not with an additional passenger. He lands a few moments later, crouching with the additional burden that has been thrust upon him.

It's hard not to be distraught, knowing how delicate this is. If Amos accuses him of being a monster... how would she know he was wrong? Not least if he fights back in the way that so many see as unseemly?]

'Tis one of the Kenoma- pray, my affliction will not harm you... but their master will, if you return with him...

[He is quick to caution, shifting across the ground to try to walk her away from Amos's approach. Could she escape on her own, if he set her down? Or would another Kenoma be lying in wait? He snarls.]

Leave us!

[arcaneward]

Nngh—huh?

[ Her body is getting heavy, amazed that Estinien can still hold her, despite her weight shifting, pulling her towards the ground. She looks, from Estinien to Amos, back to Estinien, panicked. ]

Put me down! I can fight!

[ ...She can't feel it, the planet. But surely that won't matter, right? ]

I can trust you, right? You said you know me.

[baltimores]

I don't want to fight you.

[ Amos' words are for Aerith, his voice softening, his gaze along with them as he attempts to address her directly. His control on gravity slips, abruptly returning the two of them to the weights that they're used to; he reaches out feebly to try to put a bit more pressure on Estinien, but it's waning, as though he's exhausting himself.

Still. He has to try to hold it; has to try to keep him down. Amos regards Estinien coldly for a moment. He recognizes him a lot better now. It's been some time since they've been face-to-face, but Amos knows exactly who he is, and he's dangerous — even without the effects of Innocence warping his body.

His mind, too, as far as Amos knows. ]

You can't trust him. [ Back to Aerith, more of an edge to his voice, an urgency. Estinien hasn't said anything worth responding to. ] Something's got ahold of him. He's not in his right mind. He'll drag you down with him. You'll forget who you are, you'll try to hurt others. It's a plague.

[ He genuinely isn't sure what Estinien's intentions are with her — warp her to Innocence, corrupt her to the Pleroma — but both are bad. It's just that the Innocence, the thing affecting the way Estinien looks right now, is probably worse. ]

You need to get away from him.

[ He advances, gravity kicking up a notch as he does so. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Hearing the two of them, Estinien flinches. Though he doesn't agree with Amos, the insinuation about his condition are upsettingly plausible, and brings him back to the time in Venera that Amos apparently remembers all too clearly.

After a moment of hesitation, he sets Aerith down - he won't hold her against her will. Not until he's a lot more desperate.]

I do trust you... and I only hope that you can trust me.

[Now basically crouching on all fours, his wings laying flat, he growls at Amos. He may be struggling to move around, but there is one thing that he's fairly certain won't be all that affected by gravity.]

The man speaks of things he does not understand. [He turns his attention to Amos, now.] Your kind has taken enough from me! I'll not lose another comrade to your wretched master!

[Fire builds in his throat, rising until he licks against his fangs. He spits a concussive bolt of fire at Amos's feet.]

[arcaneward]

[ Her scream is both fear and surprise, and she scrambles back as Estinien lets loose, eyes wide, modesty out the window. It's not too far away — but far enough out of the way of Estinien's fire, and far enough that she's closer to Amos than she might like, if she were paying attention.

What are you?

The question dies on her lips — she is, at least, smart enough to know that now is not the time to ask, even if she's never seen anything like it before. Not even Angeal's copy—

No, it's not the time for that, either.

She finally looks at her surroundings, watching Amos. Instead of Estinien, she turns a much more prudent question to him: ]

Why are you here!?

[baltimores]

[ The relief he feels as Estinien lets Aerith go, as she inadvertently ends up closer to him, is nearly palpable — at least until fire is literally being spit at him and oh, what the fuck.

Amos gives a small yell of shock as it hits him, its force sending him back a little ways, the blunt trauma of it something he needs to take a couple of seconds to recover from, the pain having to fade into the background rather than leave him entirely. He has to switch to standing on one foot momentarily to quickly beat out the boot that had taken the worst of the damage. It's impeding, it's frustrating; it's not totally debilitating.

And she's away from him now, which means Amos really doesn't have any reason to hold back. ]

My wretched— [ Amos starts out in disbelief at the choice of words, stalking towards Estinien. All he has going for him at this time is close-range combat, and he'll keep exhausting himself with manipulating gravity around him, trying to keep him pinned to the ground until he's close enough to land a good hit, hopefully end this. ]

I'm here to help people like you! [ he calls back to Aerith, though he can't take his eyes off of Estinien, trying to weigh him down, trying to see if he can create an opening for himself. ] My kind is trying to create a better world; his kind wants people to keep suffering. You don't want to be with him!

[ He circles around as he does his best to approach Estinien without taking another hit, gravity fluctuating too much with inexperience; Amos aiming to place his body between the two of them regardless. ]

[coerthantorment]

[There's a bit of relief, as Amos goes on talking. This isn't just a physical battle, but one of words as well... he can't bear to lose Aerith's faith, even if he believes that others in the Pleroma would be better at convincing her. It's for that reason alone that he aimed for his feet instead of his body. He's already beginning to regret it.

Amos is exposing the basis of the argument, all the same. For many, the objection to this simplified explanation of goals is clear.]

To create a better world... [He growls.] At the cost of all others! These madmen would slaughter the entire cosmos for the chance to fulfill their delusion of a perfect world! My world! Yours!

[He's backing away from Amos as he tries to approach, slinking low against the barren earth. He's strong, but the gravity is wearing on him, even so. He lashes his thorny tail, trying to ward Amos off. Despite himself, his emotions are getting the better of him.]

If you truly wanted to prevent suffering, you would free the ones you have taken...! Abel... Himeka... They have done nothing to earn your cruelty!

[arcaneward]

[ He'd tell you that he only cares about the planet. That he'd do everything in his power to protect and preserve it. But this isn't the way it's supposed to be. There's no greater threat to the planet than him.

She's heard this before. Both sides of this argument, and one man's insistence that the only way to save this world is to end it. At that time, she could hear it — the cries of the people Sephiroth was hurting to fulfill his goal, the howls of the planet itself, writhing in pain. She can't hear it now — and that's something she'll worry about later, when she's not staring down two men, one decidedly more monstrous than the other, trying to tell her, no, my way is the correct one. ]

Stop!

[ She rises to her feet, rushes forward, bare soles feeling every rock underneath them as she flings herself in front of Estinien, arms out. A barrier. With luck, this other man won't hurt her — he wants to take her, right? So if she's lucky, he won't try to go through her. ]

Is it true?

[ She's asking Amos again. ]

Is that really how you want to save the world?

[baltimores]

[ Amos advances on Estinien, armed with nothing more than his fists; as far as he's concerned, they remain his best shot. Combine that with gravity, and he can take him. It's messier than he'd like, but it's possible.

Just when he's starting to get close enough though he has to dart back from that tail, not wanting to take any more damage than he has to. The past few weeks have been exhausting. He's only just starting to feel better now, he doesn't need a bigger setback.

But the tail's movement leaves an opening for him — one Aerith abruptly blocks, and Amos is forced to stop his advancement. The fact that she's put herself there — after a moment, he lowers his fists to his sides. Any disruption in gravity fades away.

He takes a cautious look at Estinien before addressing her. Surely he's not going to start shit with her in between them... ]

My world's gone too. [ For all his shouting earlier, he speaks gently. What he hopes is convincingly, but like Estinien, he also has comrades who would be better at laying out their case.

Unlike Estinien, he isn't burdened by emotions — largely in part because he's incapable of recognizing the sadness that overtakes him. ] There were good people in it. Better people than me. They should be here; they aren't. But even that's not enough. Everything's broken beyond repair. The Regent wants to make it right for those born to suffer, those of us who were never supposed to have a chance — [ he inadvertently gestures towards himself; turns out this is personal — ] and... it's not like people dying is a good thing. But this is bigger than all of us. Bigger than any one of us will ever be able to see. And doing the right thing isn't always easy.

[ So yes, it is how he wants to save the world; the genuine good intentions of someone who's been hurt too badly to know any better.

He eyes Estinien again. He can't get at him like this — but. ]

Abel and Himeka are fine.

[ Said flatly, and without a trace of emotion, because that's definitely a believable way of presenting that information. Fine is relative though, isn't it? ]

[coerthantorment]

[Aerith thrusts herself between them, and for a moment Estinien finds himself overwhelmed by a sense of deja vu. She really was always like this. Good to know.

All the same, he feels himself tense all over, his instincts telling him to attack before Amos can snatch her away. He doesn't know Amos well enough to think that he won't. The man is a true believer and has been since the beginning. He wouldn't put anything past him.

Still, the gravity returning to normal gives him options. In the end, he decides to wait, to let Aerith respond on her own terms... only for Amos's bland comment on his friend's fates to send the anger in him surging again.

He bears his fangs, but doesn't strike.]

[arcaneward]

[ She doesn't budge. Amos is wrong — this isn't the way. ]

What's the point in saving a world when there's no one left to save?

[ Aerith stands up a little taller, a little straighter, arms still outstretched to block Amos from Estinien, to block Estinien from Amos. She doesn't know where she is, who any of these people are. She doesn't know what's going on.

But she does know that what Amos is saying is wrong. ]

If there's a way to save it, to keep the people I love from vanishing, without tearing apart the cosmos, then I'll find it and I'll do it. That's the path I chose back home. Doing the right thing isn't easy. But what you're saying... it's wrong. It's just plain wrong.

[ She looks over her shoulder at Estinien. ]

Who are Himeka and Abel?

[baltimores]

[ Amos can't help but bare his teeth right back at Estinien. His primary role will always be that of a frontliner, not a speaker; violence is his tool, not words. If it was just the two of them, the chances are a lot higher one of them would end up dead.

But Aerith is here, and he has to remember that — so when she speaks again he blinks, reverts to a neutral expression. He's listening, he is.

But...

A look of disbelief crosses his face. His body remains tense, but her words are just.

They're so damning. ]

The people you love? What about everyone else?

[ He gets it; he does. Amos is the kind of person who only cares about a select handful of people and nobody else. He's a Lover; the sign that he's like that is literally scarred into his flesh. He also knows that he's inferior, that the Regent knows so much better than any of them ever will, and it's becoming clear that other people don't seem to grasp that. It isn't even something he can fully wrap his head around, much as he's starting to try to. ]

You have to know that damning everyone else just for the people you love is wrong. You won't be helping anyone by doing that. You'll only be hurting everyone else. You'll only be ending things for people who never had a chance. When there's a new world... We're doing this for everyone in the new world.

[ She has to know that.

And if she doesn't, then maybe he'll be able to get his hands on her and make her. He shifts his stance, but doesn't want to strike just yet. Just... he'll be ready when that moment comes. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien can see that shift in Amos's stance, and makes his own wary shift, growing closer to the point where violence becomes the only option. He likes the back that Aerith is standing between them less and less.

His tone is strained as he answers:]

Himeka and Abel are dear friends, who were assaulted and captured on the order of this man's master. I know the Regent's intent full well, Amos. They will see all of us broken and subjugated, if allowed their way.

[And they would break Aerith too, he hopes she realizes.]

[arcaneward]

[ She waits to answer Amos' question until Estinien has answered hers, and she thinks on that for a moment, looking down to the barren ground beneath her feet. She can't feel the planet here, somehow knows there's no Lifestream — but she also knows she wouldn't need her powers to understand the dearth of life under her. Did this so called Regent cause it? Who's to say. But the idea that it could have been them is so much worse than the idea that it couldn't have been them, and it's not a risk Aerith wants to take.

Turning her gaze back to Amos, Aerith lowers her arms, hands balled into fists. ]

Everyone on my planet is worth saving. When I say the people I love, that's who I mean. And it doesn't feel right to damn everyone, whether or not I know them, to a fate they didn't choose. Everyone deserves a chance to choose.

[ Two steps back, closer to Estinien. ]

And if you really did capture his friends, if you really are holding them against their will, then that just makes you a bad guy. I know what it's like to be captured. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[baltimores]

[ He dips his head as she speaks, a sigh, a moment of resignation at how wrong she's still got it. He has the fix for that right in his pocket, though; a vial of Kenoma to give to anyone he comes across. His hand drifts towards it, though he doesn't take it out — not until he has her.

He lifts his head again, a sort of determination to his expression, looking her in the eye. Estinien, eyes narrowing at him, but he's not his target right now. ]

Unless you come from a utopia — [ skepticism drenches his words; such places don't exist — ] then there are people you're still ignoring. The bottom of society. Lower than that. You won't do anything for them. You don't care.

[ Two steps forward. More, actually; an advancement. ]

You don't get it.

[ Frustration lines his words. He has no thoughts left to spare for Abel and Himeka; they go against everything he's talking about. They aren't the everyone. They're irrelevant.

But gravity doesn't fluctuate anymore. He's exhausted himself in that department. All he has now is his strength, so if he can just grab ahold of Aerith, wrench her towards him, force her to ingest the Kenoma... ]

[coerthantorment]

[That's enough. He's been bracing for it this entire time, giving Aerith the chance to hear the opposition and know that he doesn't mean to simply whisk her away without objection. Yet, he knows what it looks like when someone is moving with intent. He can see it in Amos clear as day.

He snarls, finally jolting into action. He practically slithers around Aerith from the side, launching himself at Amos with his taloned feet first, as his wings spread and hold him aloft. He's hoping to ward Amos off, to knock him back, without employing any techniques that might catch Aerith in the blast.

Whether or not his talons strike true, he'll be quick to spiral in the air, lashing out with the saw-like spines of his tail. The message is clear: get the hell out of their space.]

[arcaneward]

[ She opens her mouth to respond, but Estinien does it for both of them — and she flinches at his movement. Not out of fear, but out of a semblance of self preservation. He's on the attack, and while he's trying to keep her out of the so called blast radius, she's not about to stand there and risk him misfiring.

She ducks down, running a little ways away from both Amos and Estinien, turning to face them both, raising an arm in a defensive posture. ]

There's no one I'm ignoring! [ she shouts, brow furrowed. ]

No one is too small to save!

[baltimores]

[ Just as Amos' actions were unmistakeable to Estinien, the inverse is true as well; Amos snarls right back, but he is at a significant disadvantage here. He abandons his pocket in favour of bringing his arms up to protect himself, and that's where Estinien's talons connect — ripping through the sleeves, dealing him scratches deep enough to draw blood.

Scratches that make his heart rate spike because what does it mean that Estinien's touched him like this.

He doesn't want to get infected by Innocence again. He can't. And as his mind is racing, it's all he can do to dodge back before Estinien's tail connects, delivers him some real damage, and he's got a choice to make.

If Estinien can still fight, then maybe it's okay—

Though Aerith's words do break through in the moment, and Amos just. She's irrelevant right now. Until Estinien is handled, and he doesn't have the time or wherewithal to push his case on her, but regardless, he yells back, ] They go unsaved anyway!

[ He'd had to save himself, and it had come at least a decade too late.

He reaches out to try to wrap his hands around Estinien's tail, try to use it to throw him to the ground if he can. Fuck it if he cuts himself open again, right? He's in this deep. Close range should be his speciality — but Estinien really has too many advantages on him here like this, and all Amos is going to have on his side are strength and desperation. ]

[coerthantorment]

[Estinien knew from the start that arguing with Amos was pointless. The man has long since decided what is right, and it's with the sort of unshakeable vindication that makes for a poor debate partner. Estinien can even understand the roots of despair with the human condition from which Amos speaks.

Unfortunately, there's nothing to be done about that. He and Amos had made their choices, and now Aerith had, too. It was time to fight for them.

Amos's hand does close around Estinien's tail, as painful as his spines make that. It forces him to the ground once again, landing heavy on his side. It startles him for a moment, his wings beating in an effort to regain his footing. Amos is strong now... much stronger than he remembers him being. It means Estinien's first priority has to be getting away from that grasp - and so rather than trying to overpower Amos into letting him go, he decides to make being that close as hazardous as possible.

Throat brimming with heat, he spits another fireball at Amos. This time, he aims for Amos's body rather than the ground at his feet.]

[arcaneward]

No—!

[ Her shout is at Amos as he grabs for Estinien's tail, and she rushes forward, barely stopping in time as Estinien lobs another fireball at Amos' body. She throws her hands up in defense, but as soon as the initial part of the blast fades away, she's throwing herself onto Amos, trying to shove him off. ]

Get away!

[ A stupid move, to be sure, putting herself directly into arm's reach, but she can't just let herself sit on her butt on the ground while Estinien fights for her. That's not right — it's not fair. ]

[baltimores]

[ Amos grits his teeth as the spines of Estinien's tail dig into his palms, reopening old wounds, but it's what has to be done. He can always get someone in Achamoth to see to them later. Besides, it's worth it as he throws Estinien to the ground, finally gains an advantage—

Loses it immediately as Estinien's blast hits him dead centre, and it takes everything in him to hold onto his tail, keep him downed. Amos has to let go with one hand to beat out any flames on his person, but that's almost a secondary concern to the pain he feels in his chest now; at absolute minimum, that's going to bruise, and bad. He's fast approaching the point where he's going to be forced to make a choice — either give up, or risk dissipation. The former seems unconscionable; the latter seems stupid.

But at least Aerith helps him make that choice by giving him one more shot.

He fully lets go of Estinien's tail at her shove, but uses the opportunity to switch out, grabbing for her arm instead, aiming for a vice-like grip. As long as he has her, that's all that matters. As Amos reaches for her, his other hand goes right back into his pocket, retrieving the vial of Kenoma, uncorking it in one smooth, practised motion.

If he can just get it in her, that might be enough. It's a Hail Mary, and he's going for it. ]

[coerthantorment]

[There's a moment of give and take. Amos no longer has hold of him, but only because he's refocused his attention on Aerith, and the moment that familiar bottle comes out Estinien goes on full alert. Nothing quite disgusts him like that poison they attack helpless arrivals with, and it doesn't bear hesitation. He lashes out immediately.]

You will not.

[Estinien is behind him near instantly, trying to wrap his scaled arms around Amos's neck, with the intent on hauling him back and up with a powerful beat of his wings. If he can just hurl Amos away, maybe that will be the window they need to escape.]